This Monday will mark 3 months since I picked up the violin. It isn’t easy posting this because in my mind I think I should sound better, or I make the mistake of comparing myself to people at my stage who take regular lessons, something I cannot afford to do, plus my instructor is an hour away one way, so my lessons have been roughly every two weeks or so. 

This is not my best work, but it’s a lot better than some of the earlier videos of myself I’ve recorded, so I know I’m making progress. I have two goals I’ve been working towards. One, I’d like to get to the point where I can join a church band without making the ears of everyone in the church bleed profusely. Second, the assistant manager at the thrift store my husband works at (which is also where my violin came from) mentioned that I’d be welcome to play simple Christmas carols at their Christmas party, which is again assuming that there wouldn’t be sudden ear bleeding during my performance. I don’t know that I’ll make the Christmas party goal, but I’m keeping an open mind.

That said, my instructor mentioned at my last lesson that I don’t use enough bow, so I’ve been trying to use at least the middle third of the bow as opposed to short choppy bow strokes. I’m not bowing in a straight line much, which I noticed after watching the video. My intonation isn’t great, but I started with tapes on my first violin and decided to go without them when I got my antique instrument, so it’s been a matter of learning fingerboard geometry. I’m doing better than I was. I’ve found that if I don’t watch my tuner like a hawk that I tend to do better, and my ear is far enough along that I can pick up on a lot of notes when they’re out of tune. I played the oboe for 8 years while in middle and high school and developed a decent ear. 

My C (on G string) sounds muddy to me. It seems like it should sound deep and pretty, and instead it sounds off.

I have Pirastro Tonica strings, and my violin is not a VSO. 

I won’t be seeing my instructor for another two weeks or so, and I would love any sort of tips or suggestions that you guys have. Please be gentle. :)

I’m almost at 3 months of playing!